Removable and adjustable rocker.



' 0. A. DRUHMAN.

REMOVABLE AND ADJUSTABLE ROCKER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6, 1908.

Patented May 18, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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Witnesses: m In/evztq'r EM a/MM G. A. DRUHMAN.

REMOVABLE AND ADJUSTABLE ROCKER.

' APPLICATION FILED nov. 6, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Witnessesk U fnventar 7 49% W WW r "nn'rrnn trlTATEb PATENT CHARLES A. DRUHMAN, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ON E-HALF TO WILLIAM J. FATE, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

REMOVABLE AND ADJUSTABLE ROCKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. DRUHMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Removable and Adjustable Rockers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to rocking chairs, and its object is to provide means whereby an ordinary chair without rockers may be supplied with rockers, and to provide such a device for this purpose that the rockers may be made adjustable to chairs of different dimensions and to render the rockers convenient to attach and detach from the chair.

My invention consists in the combination with a rocker, of a collar composed of relatively movable parts adapted to embrace the leg of a chair to clamp it to the rocker.

My invention also consists in the details of construction and arrangement of parts as will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of part of a rocker embodying my invention, this view illustrating the forward part of a rocker adapted to receive the lower end of one of the forward legs of a chair. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a ilan view of part of a rocker embodying another part of my invention, this view illustrating the rear part of the rocker adapted to receive one of the rear legs oi the chair, and illustrating the device'ior facilitating the adj ustment of the rocker to the chair. Fig. 4 is a plan view also illustrating the rear part of a rocker, on which a clamp, similar to the one illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, is provided for clamping the rear legs of a chair. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one of the parts of the collar. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the other part of the collar. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of thesame. Fig. 9 is a rear elevation of the part of the collar illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. Fig. 10 is a rear elevation of the part of the collar illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8. Figs. 11 and 12 are detail views of the bolt and cap nut respectively, for securing the collar to the forward part of the rocker. Figs. 13 and 14 are detail views of the eye bolt and nut, respectively, fO1 drawing the parts of the collar together. Fig. 15 is a detail perspective view of the clip for holding the collar in position. Figs. 16 and 17 are detail perspective views of one of the slide covers and one of the clips for holding the slide covers in position, these parts being used for covering the recess which receives the rear leg of the chair when no clamp is provided at the rear. Fig. 18*is a detail perspective view of the channel plate which carries the collar and covers the recess that receives the rear leg of the chair when a' clamp is provided for the rear leg. Fig. 19 is a perspective view of a chair equipped with my improved rockers.

Constructed as illustrated, my invention consists in a rocker 1 which is provided near its forward end with a rectangular recess 2 to receive the lower end of the forward leg of the chair. This recess 2 is of the same width as that of the rocker, and of a depth equal to I about half that of the rocker, while it is some what longer than its width to allow slight variation in inclination of the lower end of the chair leg where it rests therein. In order to reinforce the rocker 1 in the region of the recess 2 and to close the sides of the recess, cleats 3 are secured to opposite sides of the rocker by means of dowels 4L passing transversely through the rocker close to the recess 2. These cleats 3 conform in shape to that of the rocker along the upper and lower sides, and their ends may be provided with ornamentation, as shown, to give the rocker a finished appearance. The collar 5 is com posed of relatively movable semi-cylimlrical parts 5 and 5", having radially outwardly projecting flanges 6 around their lower edges, and having slight radially inwardly projecting flanges 7 around their upper edges. Part of the vertical wall of one of the parts is turned down and outwardly from the upper edge to form one of the lugs 8 for pivotally attaching the eye bolt 9. The other lug 10 for attaching this eye bolt is formed by allowing an extension of the flange 6 circumferentially of the collar, which flange 6 is bent upward at its beginning, to a vertical position, and then is bent backward over the main part of said flange at such a point that its part in the region of its end will form the lug 10 at a suitable distance below the lug 8 to freely admit the eye bolt 9. The eye bolt 9 is pivoted between these lugs by means of a rivet or pin 11 passing vertically through the lugs and through the eye of the eye bolt.

Thus constructed, the lugs 8 and 10 extend radially from the collar and lie substantially horizontally, while the eye bolt is adapted to swing in substantially a horizontal plane. The other part of the collar is provided with a lug 12 by allowing an extension of the vertical wall of the collar circumferentially thereof, and bending this extension outward at its beginning so that the lug 12 extends radially outward from the collar and lies substantially vertically. This lug 12 is provided with an open slot 18 extending radially inward from its end and when the two parts of the collar are brought close to each other, the eye bolt 9 may swing into this open slot 13 in the lug 12. A thumb nut 14 of proper size and shape is screwed onto the end of the eye bolt 9 and may be drawn against the lug 12 through which the eye bolt extends when it lies in the slot 13. The other ends of the parts 5 and 5 of the collar 5 are provided with lugs 15 and 16, respectively, and the lug 16 is adapted to overlap the lug 15, while both are provided with openings adapted to come into alinement, through which openings may pass a pivot in the form of a bolt 17 for securing the collar 5 to the rocker 1 and allowing the parts 5 and 5 to be movable relative to each other. The lug 15 is merely the termination of the flange 6 of the part 5, while the lug 16 is formed by continuing the flange 6 of the part 5 circumferentially of the collar. In order that the lug 16 may overlap the flange 15, it is struck upward at its beginning an amount about equal to the thickness of the lug 15. The bolt 17 which forms the pivot for the parts of the collar passes substantially vertically through the rocker and the opening in the rocker through which it passes is countersunk at its lower end to receive the head of the bolt 17, so that the head will not project beyond the lower surface of the rocker. Where the bolt 17 extends above the upper surface of the lug 1.6, a nut, preferably in the form of a cap nut 18, is screwed onto the end of the bolt 17 to hold the forward part of the collar 5 down against the rocker. The rear part of the collar 5 is held down against the rocker, in such a man ner that its parts may readily move toward and from each other at the rear, by means of a clip 19 which has a struck up part adapted to lie over the rear parts of the flanges 6 of the parts of the collar, and recessed to admit i the vertical extension of the flange 6 on the part 5 and has a main part which lies against the upper surface of the rocker to the rear of the collar through which main part screws 20 are passed into the cleats 3 to hold the clip securely in position.

The interior concave vertical walls of the parts of the collar 5 are lined with suitable soft material 21., such as felt, and it is to 'as sist in maintaining this felt in position against upward strains that may be exerted upon it that the radially inwardly extending flanges 7 are provided on the parts of the collar.

Constructed as above described, it may be understood that when it is desired .to clamp the rocker on an ordinary chair, which is not provided with a rocker and which has not been constructed with a view to supplying it with a rocker of the ordinary construction, the clamp may be opened by unscrewing the nut 14 on the eye bolt 9, allowing the parts 5 and 5 of the collar 5 to recede from each other. Then the lower end of the chair leg is inserted through the collar into the recess 2 in the rocker and allowed to rest on the bottom of said recess 2. As hereinbefore mentioned, the recess 2 being of somewhat greater length than its width will readily admit the chair leg regardless, to a certain extent, of the degree of inclination of the chair leg. Then all that is necessary is to screw the nut 14 tightly against the lug 12 on the part 5 drawing the two parts 5 and 5 of the collar 5 toward each other and causing them to tightly clamp the chair leg. The thickness of soft material 2]. being provided interiorly of the collar, this clamping effect will be effectually exerted, also regardless, to a certain extent, of the inclination of the chair leg. At the same time the gripping surface, being soft, will prevent injury to the surface of the chair leg.

As is well known, the preponderance of weight is brought to bear continually on the rear legs of a rocking chair, and it will usually be unnecessary to provide a clamping arrangement for the rear legs of the chair, owing to the fact that the weight carried by the chair will maintain the rear legs in position against upward displacement. In this case, it is only necessary to provide a recess 22 in the rocker to receive the lower end of the rear leg of the chair. In order to allow this recess to receive the rear legs of chairs, on which the distance between the forward andrear legs varies, the recess is made considerably longer than the thickness of the chair leg. This recess is formed in the same way as is the recess 2 in the forward part of the rocker and cleats 28 are secured to opposite sides of the rocker, to reinforce it, by the use of dowel pins 24. In order to cover the parts of the recess not occupied by the lower end of the chair leg, slides 25 are mounted on the upper surface of the rocker, one of these slides being positioned in front of the chair leg, and the other behind it. These slides are held in place by means of clips 26 screwed to the upper surface of the cleats 23 at the sides of the slides 25, and each having a struck up part adapted to lie over the slide and hold it down, but to permit the slide to move, forwardly or backwardly as is necessary in adjusting it to the chair leg. The end of the slide 25 is concave and has a flange 27 turned up to engage with the chair leg, while the other end of the slide 25 has a lip 28 turned up for conveniently engaging it to move it in adjusting it. here, for any reason, it is desired to clanrp the rear leg of the chair also, a modified slide 29 is provided for covering the recess, and a collar 5, with all of its operating parts, is mounted on this slide 29, as is best illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The only variation in the parts used in connection with the collar 5 from those illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, and hereinbet'ore described, is the substitution of a rivet 17 a for the bolt 17 which is used for pivotally attachin the two parts of the collar 5 to the slide 29. Likewise, the clip 19 is secured to the slide 29 by means of rivets 20"", as shown. The slide 29 consists in a channel plate of suhieient dimension between its side members to embrace the rocker and the cleats 23 w *hich are secured on the sides of the rocker to reinforce it adjacent to the recess 22 the main part of this channel plate lying over the upper surface of the rocker and cleats and forming a cover-for the recess 22 An opening is provided in this main part in such position as to come over the recess 22 and admit a chair leg into the recess. This opening may be of any desired shape, but preferably is round, as illustrated, and of the same diameter as the interior diameter of the collar 5 when said collar is in closed position, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The collar is secured to the channel plate by means of the rivet 17 as hereinbefore mentioned, so that the collar may be in alinement with the opening 30 when in closed position as shown. The side members of the channel plate forming the slide 29 are each provided with two slots 31 extending in a direction parallel to the line of movement of the slide, and through these slots 31 screws 32 are inserted into the sides of the cleats 23 so that the slide 29 is prevented from upward movement, but may be adjusted forwardly and rearwardly to bring it into proper position for admitting the rear leg of the chair into the recess 22 llhen the leg of the chair has been inserted through the collar 5 and through the opening 30 into the recess 22", it may be clamped by means of the collar 5, as has hereinbefore been described in connection with the description of the collar 5 used for clamping the forward chair leg.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a removable and adjustable rocker, the combination with a rocker having a recess adapted to receive the lower end of the leg of a chair, and cleats on opposite sides of the rocker adjacent to the recess to close the sides of the recess and reinforce the rocker, of a collar composed of relatively movable parts adapted to embrace the leg of the chair above the recess to clamp it in position therein, a bolt passing through the rocker and securing the collar thereto, and a clip secured on the upper surface of the roclzer and the upper surfaces of the cleats to hold the collar down, substantially as and for the nirposes herein set forth.

2. In a removable and adjustable rocker, the combination with a rocker having a recess adapted to receive the lower end of the leg of a chair, of a collar composed of relatively movable parts secured. to the rocker by means of a connncn "iivot and adapted to embrace the leg of the chair above the recess to clamp it in position therein, and a clip secured against upward movement away from the rocker and adapted to hold the collar down, substantial y as and for the purposes herein set forth.

8. In a removable and adjustable rocker, the combination with a rocker, of a collar composed of relatively movable semi-cylindrical parts having radially outwardly projecting flanges around their lower edges and having radially inwardly projecting flanges around their upper edges, part of the vertical wall of one of the parts being turned down and outwardly from the upper edge to form a lug, and an extension being allowed on the flange on the lower edge on said part circumferentially thereof, which flange is bent upward at its beginning to a vertical position and is then bent backward over the main part of said flange at such a pointthat its part in the region of its end will form another lug spaced below the lug formed by the part turned down and outwardly from the upper edge, the other part of the collar being provided with a lug by allowing an extension of its vertical wall circumferentially thereof, and bending this extension outward at its beginning so that the lug extends radially outward from the collar and lies substantially vertically, this lug being provided with an open slot extending radially inward from its end, an eye bolt pivoted between the lugs on the first described part of the collar and adapted to swing in substantially a horizontal plane, and, when the two parts 01 the collar are brought close to each other, to swing into said open slot, a nut on the eye bolt adapted to engage with the h H having the open slot, the other ends of the parts of the collar being provided with lugs, one of which lugs is adapted to overlap the other when the parts of the collar are brought together, and the lugs being provided with openings adapted to come into alinement, through which openings ma r pass a pivot for securing the collar to the rocker and to allow the parts to move relative to each other, and linings of soft material on the interior concave vertical walls of the parts of the collar of suitable thickness to allow said parts of the collar to exert an ellicient clamping effect on the leg of a chair, regardless of the inclination of the chair leg, the radially inwardly extending flanges on the upper edges of the parts being adapted to hold the linings against upward movement, substantially as and. for the purposes hcrein set forth.

4. In a removable and adjustable rocker, the combination with a rocker, of a collar composed of relatively movable semi-cylindrical parts having radially outwardly pro jecting flanges around their lower edges, means for securing said parts to the rocker to allow them to move relatively to each other, means for drawing and holding said parts together, and a clip adapted to take over the radially outwardly projecting flanges of the parts to hold the collar down, the collar being adapted to embrace the leg of a chair to clamp it to the rocker, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

CHARLES A. DRUHMAN.

Nitnesses:

A. W. KEMPER, W. J. SoHULTz. 

